Winter is Coming: Time to Cosy Up with Sadler’s in their Epic New Tap Room!
We went to check out Sadler’s recently opened Tap Room on the outskirts of Birmingham. The venue was launched back in June and a visit was well overdue, so we were keen to take a look and enjoy a few bevvies.
Sadler’s dates back to 1900, with six generations. Director, Chris Sadler, re-launched the brewery with his Dad in 2004, 77 years after the brewery shut in 1927. They now have a whopping 60 barrel plant and offer a wide range of ales, including their extremely autumnal Red IPA; a tawny, reddish brew with a warming aroma of caramel and red berries, met by a cracking flavour of sweet maltiness, a touch of tropical fruit, and mellowed by a bitter nutty finish… Mmmm!
We walked into a very stylish and welcoming modern industrial interior, with a burnt wood bar, gleaming copper pipes, blue washed wooden panelling and quirky, stylised pictures on the walls. The bar boasts 8 kegged lines and 6 cask, including their legendary Mud City Stout, another favourite of ours; brewed with raw cocoa and, man, you can really get sense of this in the aroma, a powdered cocoa flavour, with hints of fruitcake and an underlying dash of vanilla.
We got a chance to chat to Marketing Director, Aster Sadler, and General Manager, Jim Pycraft, about all things Sadler’s and the new taproom. “It took 8 weeks to renovate and it’s not like we’ve had a company come in and design the whole place, some of us were painting or burning the top of the bar, Jim’s wife’s friend did the artwork that’s hanging walls. I think this is why I love it so much, it’s got our personality on it which is what Sadler’s is all about.”, said Aster, speaking fondly about the work they put into their new space. But they didn’t know quite how good it would end up, as Jim states, “It was a bit of a challenge at first because we didn’t really have a style in mind, we had the image of the brewery, but really it was trying to expand on that. So this was all of our own ideas combined into what you see today!”
And there are even more exciting plans for Sadler’s this December. “We’re currently renovating a place in Harborne, which is opening as a pop up in December. Then closing for two months refurbishment, ready for a March relaunch”, reveals Aster. “We’re heading more towards renovating different spaces rather than reviving old-school pubs. It makes things a little more exciting and it’s nice to bring something new to an area.”
“It’s also great to have variety in the Sadler’s portfolio, The Sadler's Brewhouse and Bar is a fantastic live venue, The Windsor Castle is great for some decent pub grub, and this Tap Room is a cosy place to chill, out of the stress of the city. Next stop for us is Birmingham city centre!”The Tap Room is easy to get to from Birmingham city centre and the perfect excuse to get away from the German Market crowds, so make sure to stop by! And don’t forget the usual haunts: Website, Facebook & Instagram.
